Knitted fabric



July 15, 1941. H, AULL KNITTED FABRIC Filed Sept. 27, 1938 Patented July 15, 1941 KNIT-TED FABRIC QHarry Aull, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Friedberger-Aaron Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a'corporation of Pennsylvania Application september 27, 193s, serial No. 231,851

(ci. s6- 195) 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a knitted fabric, and specifically to an elastic knitted fabric of openwork type adapted, for example, for'the formation of the uppers of womens shoes.

In the'formation of womens shoes it is often desiredl to provide at the toes or other parts of the uppers openwork areas in which appear openings of substantial size. For comfort and close fit, it is also desirable that such regions should be elastic to a suflicient extent to permit such portions of the shoe to conform to the foot. At the same time, the material` should be moderately heavy and exhibit stiffness to a substantial extent so as to avoid the formation of wrinkles or the appearance of distortions, which would be undesirable.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a knitted fabric which may be used in shoes in the fashion just described, but which is ada-ptable for other uses. In its preferred form this fabric, While fairly heavy and stiff, has quite substantial elasticity. Additionally, the fabric is so formed that when in use it shows openings of considerable size which are'substantially circu.

lar in form, thereby hiding to' a considerable extent any suggestion of the formation of the fabric by the use of threads running ina particular direction. 'Ihe' elasticity is produced by the incorporation of elastic threads, preferably of covered type, for example, those known as Lastex, which threads will stand up under the exposure to water and abrasive materials to which shoes may be subjected.

The various objects of the inventiomof whichl specific objects relate to details of construction of the fabric, will become apparent fromthe following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,'in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary lplan view showin the appearance of the preferred form of the improved fabric prior tov the lateral stretching which will cause the openings therein to be substantially circular;

Figure 2 is a fragmentarysectional view -illustrating the elements. of a machine used in the formation of the fabric, `such illustration being for the purpose of clarifying the fabric diagrams;

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 2, but showing successive steps in thevknitting of an elastic thread;

Figurefi is a horizontal sectional view having incorporated in it a diagramV illustrating the fashion .in which the various threads 'are fed to the needles; and

' illustrated inFigure 1.

aseries of zigzag Wale-like chainsindicated at. 2, which run lengthwise of the fabric inpairs Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the formation of a typical area of the fabric.

The improved fabric in its preferred form is To the eye it exhibits zigzagging oppositely alongthe fabric and leaving openings 4 across the ends of which there appear floats as indicated at 5. When first formed, the fabric has an appearance substantially that of Figure "1, the openings-being ofl ing distance, the appearance of the lengthwise chains 2 is lost and the fabric appears'to have The fabricof Figure 1 is constructed ona cpnventional type of knitting machine, such asJ illustrated in Figure 2. The machine comprises two banks of needles, indicated at 6 and 8 and located o n opposite vsides of a space bounded by plates l0 serving for the reception of the knitted fabric and adapted to cast off the loops. The

needles of the two banks are reciprocated as groups alternately by the usual conventional means. In order to feed threads to the needles, there are provided carrying fingers. 'I'liese carrying fingers are mounted on three bars, the iingers on each bar being of the same number as the needles ofone of the groups. One of these bars carries a set of fingers I2 for feeding elastic-threads, indicated at I4, to individual pairs of needles. The bar carrying the ngers -I2 does not reciprocatelengthwise vto -carry the elastic threads to different needles of any group, but has imparted to it only the motions necessary to cause each of the elastic threads to feed one needle of one ybank and the opposite needle of the .other bank; that is, yeach elastic thread is knit, during the formation of the4 fabric, on two 'needles only, i. e., alternately by opposite needles of the two banks. The other two carrying bars they carry rto needles of both groups. The fashion in which the fabric 'yarns I8 and 20 are car-- rather stiff, though elastic, nature, but this may be changed at will by the use of light or heavy cotton threads, according to the desired results.

The nature of the fabric and the mode of its formation will be best appreciated from consideriation of Figure 5, which is a' diagram comprising horizontal lines which are alternately marked a and b, which may be taken to represent, so far as formation goes, alternately the banks of needles and 8, which needles might be saidto be represented by the intersection of these horizontal lines with the vertical lines of this diagram.

' The diagram may also be taken to representthe finished fabric with the various intersections of a the horizontal and vertical lines representing the concatenations of loops, `with the lines a and b alternately representing the back and front of the fabric,which, as;wi l l be evident from Figures 2 and 3, is ofaftwofply' type, though-the`front and back plies areV very closely interknit. The vertical lines may not only be regarded as representing at their intersections the needles or concatenations as above described, but may also be regarded as representing, as indicated at I4, the lines of the elastic threads I4. I8 and 20, respectively, represent the arrangements of the fabric threads as they are engaged alternately by needles ofthe front and rear banks. For clarity, the threads I8 are represented bysingle zigzag lines and the threads by double zigzag llines.

With the above explanations, the nature of the concatenations will be readily understood.q Each of the elastic threads I4 is alternately knitted by a needle'of one bank and the opposite needle of the other bank. As a result, these elastic threads -extend lengthwise of the fabric and are formed intoloops of which alternately formed loops are concatenated at the two sides of the fabric while there is no concatenation of the loops of any elastic thread with the loops of another. The elastic threads are fed to the needles by a substantiallyrectaugular motion of the carriers I2, as indicated by the dotted lines I4 in Figure 4.

Each of the fabric threads I8 is knitted through a substantial length of the fabric first by a needle of one bank and then by a needle of the other bank, which is next to that needle opposite the first mentioned one. In other words, the successive loopstformed from the fabric thread IB are not only alternately at the: front and back of the fabric, but" are zigzagged transversely of the fabric. This will be evident by following the loops concatenated with loops of the elastic threads and with successive loops of the fabric threads concatenated with loops of different elas- As indicated above, the fabric is preferably finally of a tic threads and with successive loops of each ofthe fabric threads of one set concatenated with loops of different fabric threads of the other set where they are concatenated with anyloops of threads of the other set. This occurs, for example, at a and h, though it will be noted that at points such as i a fabric thread is concatenated only with an elastic thread. As a result of this it may be said that the fabric threads have zigzag arrangements lengthwise of the fabric compared with the elastic threads which, at least at the time of formation, may be said to be extending almost straight, though distortion occurs thereafter, as indicated below and in Figure l.

' At the same time, due to the lateral shifting at d and e, open spaces are provided as indicated at f, so that the resulting fabric may be said to comprise transverse zones such as c in which the threads are interknitted within groups but with- A out any 4lnterknitting of threads of diiiere'ntv groups, so as to leave the openings ,f (or 4 of the finished fabric) between the groups. By reason of the displacement of the threads at d and e. the openings in successive transverse zones only are staggered relative to each other, as Will be evident from Figures 1 and 5. I-t may be here noted that the floats which appear in the iinished fabric at 5 are due to the substantial lateral displacement, such as indicated at d and e.

While for clarity only the central portion of Figure 5'is completed, it will be understood that the right and left hand portions are interknitted in the same fashion as the central portions with the result that the arrangement of the central portion of that figure is repeated throughout the fabric. Thus the staggered arrays of openings 4 areprovided.

By reason of the lateral strains set up by the zigzag knitting and the presence of the elastic threads which are knitted under some tension,

the fabric as it comes off the knitting machine does not have the elastic threads running'in generally straight lines, but the grouped chains of loops formed by the elastic and fabric threads are distored as indicated in Figure 1, giving the chains smooth wave-like .appearances leaving oval openingsy of characteristic type. Heretofore in the production of openwork fabric such openings have generally been rectangular and are incourse of any of these threads IB indicated in Figure v5. After such knitting has proceeded for l an extended length of the fabric, a shift occurs,

.as indicated at e, and the zigzag knitting is resumed, but with a displacement of the region of both of the ysets may-be Vsaid to be formed into capable of' distortion into satisfactory circular openings. In the present case, however, lateral J stretching of the fabric will produce permanent enlargement of these openings laterally with some accompanying lengthwise shortening, with the result that in the final fabric in its preferred form circular openings are provided as indicated above.

The use of an elastic thread is not absolutely necessary, though desirable if a maximum elasticity is required. The elasticity of the fabric in a lengthwise direction is due to the fact that the straighter wales formed by the elastic threa s are extensible by reason of the elasticity, whereas the fabric is extensible despite the relatively inelastic cotton threads by reason of the fact that these threads arein a zigzag array and hence can be more or less straightened out. On the other hand, if an inelastic thread is knit in place o f the elastic threadl4, a substantial- I loss of lengthwise elasticity occurs, though the lateral distortion necessary to produce circularopenings is still possible` It will be obvious that .various changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the inven- 'tion without departing from itsl scope as defined in the following claims. For example, lminor changes in the concatenation of the loops may be provided with the attainment of substantiallythe same desirable result. v

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

.1. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a set of elastic threads and two sets of fabric threads, each of said elastic threads being formed into loops of which alternately formed loops are concatenated at the two sides of the fabric without concatenation of loops of any elastic thread with loops of another. each of the fabric threads of both sets being formed into loops concatenated with loops of said elastic threads with successive loops of thev fabric threads concatenated with loops of different elastic threads and with'successive loops of each of the fabric threads of one set concatenated with loops of` different fabric threads ofthe other set where such concatenationof threads of the two sets takes place, with no concatenation of loops of threads of the same set, saidfabric threads thereby having zigzag arrangements lengthwise of the fabric comparedpwith the elastic threads, said threads being interknitted within groups in transverse zones of the fabric without interknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings 'of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabotherVeach of the threads of the second and third sets being formed into loops concatenated with loops of the first set, with successive loops of the threads of the second and third sets concatenated with loops of different threads of the first set, and with successive loops of each of the threads of the second and third sets concate-` nated vwith loops of different threads of the other of said second and third sets where such concatenation f threads of one of the second or third sets with threads of the other occurs, with which alternately formed loops -are concatenated at the two sides of the fabric, and' eachvof the threads of a plurality of the other sets being formed into loops concatenated with loops of the first set, the threads of these latter sets having zigzag arrangements vlengthwise of the fabriccompared with the threads of the first set, said 4. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a plurality of sets ofthreads, each of the threads of atleast one set being elastic and formed into loops of which alternately formed loops are concatenated at the two sides of the fabric, and each of the threads of a plurality of the other sets being formed into loops concatenated with loops of the rst set, the threads of these latter sets having zigzag arrangements lengthwise of the fabric compared with the threads 'of the first y set, said' threads being interknitted within groups in transverse zones'of the fabric Without interknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric between the groups, the openings in successive transverse zones being staggered relative to each other, and said groups of threads being laterally spaced to produce substantial Widths of l the openings between the groups, the knitting in each of said groups beingl compacted laterally of the fabric.` e

5. An openwork knitted fabric comprisl'gig a plurality of sets of threads of which the threads of at least one set are formed into loops of which alternately formed loops are concatenated at the two sides of the fabric, a plurality of the other sets of threads being concatenated with loops of the first set and extending in zigzag formation lengthwise of the fabric, said threads being interknitted within groups in transverse zones of the fabric without interknitti'ng of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric between the groups, theuopenings in successive transverse zones being staggered relative to each other, and

e said groups of threads being laterally spaced to no concatenation of loops of'threads of the sec ond and third sets with loops of the same set, the threads of the second and third sets thereby having zigzag arrangements lengthwise of the fabric compared with the threads ofthe first set,

said threads being interknitted within `groups in transverse zones of the fabric withoutinterknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric between the groups, the`openings in successive transverse zones being staggered relative to each other, and said groups of threads being latproduce substantial widths of the openings be tween the groups, the knitting of eachr ofsaid groups being compacted laterally of the fabric.

6. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a plurality of sets of threads of which the threads of at least one set are elastic and formed into loops of which alternately formed loops are concatenated at the two sides vof the fabric, a plutransverse zones of the fabric without interknittin of threads ,of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric between the groups, the openings in successive transverse zones being staggered relative to each other, and said groups lof threads being' .laterally spaced to produce substantial Widths of the openings between the groups, the knitting of each of said groups being compacted laterally of y the fabric.

'1. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a plurality of sets of threads of which the threads of at least one set areforrned into loops of which compacted laterally of the fabric.

8. An openwork knitted fbric comprising a plurality of sets of threads ofwhich the threads of at least one set are elastic and formed into loops of which alternately formed loops are con'- catenated at the two s ides of the fabric, a pluconcatenated to form chains running lengthwise of the' fabric, rsaid threads being interknitted within groups, each of which groupscomprises a plurality of threads of every set, in transverse -zones of the fabric' without interknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric betweenthe groups', the various threads of each set being knit into different wales in the same course in each of said groups, the openings in successive transverse zones being staggered relative to each other, and said groups of threads being laterally spaced to produce substantial widths of the openings between the groups, the knitting in each of said groups being Acompacted laterally of the fabric, and forming wavy ribs of substantial width rality of the other-sets of threads being concatenatedwith loops of the first set and extending in zigzag formation lengthwise of the fabric, said threads being interknitted within groups in transverse zones of the fabric without interknitting of threads of different groups leaving-openings of substantial lengthwise extent 'in' said fabric between the-groups, and said groups of threads being laterally spaced to produce substantial widths of the openings between the groups, the knitting of each of said groups being compacted laterally of the fabric.

, 9. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a plurality of setsof threads at least one of which comprises elastic threads, said threads being concatenated to form-chains running lengthwise of the fabric, said threads being interknitted within groups, each of which groups comprises a plurality ofthreads of. every set, in transverse zones of thefabric Without interknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric between 'the groups, the various threads of each set being knit.

into different wales in the same course 'in each of said groups, the openings in successive transverse zones being staggered relative to each other, and said groups ofthreads being laterally spaced to produce substantial widths of. the openings between the groups, the knitting in each of. said groups being compacted laterally of the fabric, and forming wavy ribs of substantial width running lengthwise of the fabric and forming curved boundaries for said openings. v ,f

10. An openworkknitted fabric comprising a piurality'of sets of threads,l said threads beingA openings.

running lengthwise of the fabric and formingv curved boundaries for said4 openings. l

l1. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a plurality of sets of threads at least one of which comprises elastic threads, said threads being concatenated to form chains running lengthwise of the fabric, said threads being interknitted within groups, each o-fwhichgroups comprisesa plurality of threads of every set', in transverse zones of the fabric without interknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric betweenv the groups, the various threads of each set being knit into different wales in the same course in each of said groups, and said groups of threads being laterally spaced to produce substantial widths of the openings between the groups, the knitting in each of said groups being compacted laterally of the fabric, and forming wavy ribs of substantial width running lengthwise of the fabric and forming curved boundaries for said-openings'.

12. An openwork knitted fabric comprising a plurality of sets of threads, said threads being concatenated to form chains running lengthwise 0f the fabric, said threads being interknitted within groups, each of which groups comprises a plurality of threads of every set, in transverse zones of the fabric without vinterknitting of threads of different groups leaving openings of substantial lengthwise extent in said fabric between the groups, the various threads of each set being knit into different wales in the same course in each of said groups. and said groups of threads being -laterally spaced to produce substantial widths of the openings between the groups, the

knitting in each of said groups being compacted substantial width running lengthwise of the fabric and forming curved boundaries for said HARRY ALL.- 

